Improve Your Fitness with a Fit Test

As the New Year approaches many of us will be setting health and fitness goals for 2015. Some may want to lose a certain amount of weight, run a race at a certain time, or even just start a fitness routine. Whatever your goals may be, I suggest you give yourself a fitness test: you find your baseline and track your progress. By doing this, you hold yourself accountable and seeing your progress is more motivating.

When I started teaching again 8 weeks ago, I added a new class (Progressive Fitness Training) and I love teaching this class. It was a small group class where only 9 members met for 8 weeks and paid extra for this type of setting. I designed each class myself and loved trying out new, intentional, tough exercises.

We started and ended the 8-week session with a Fit Test. After the 8-week session, all of the members improved and became stronger, faster and had an increased fitness level. I also did the Fit Test and was pleased with my results.

This Fit Test would be great for all fitness levels. You could test yourself with all of these exercise or you could pick one or a few.

Fit Test

1. Time yourself for one minute and do as many reps of the exercise below as you can in the given time.
2. Count your reps.
3. Decide on a time frame and test yourself again. (My class had eight weeks to better themselves)
4. Set a goal for yourself.
5. Reward yourself if you reach your goals.

Box Jumps: Find a sturdy box or a step bench. Aim to increase the number or jumps OR the height of the box.
Thrusters: Keep track of the amount of weight you are using. Your goal would be to increase the weight OR the number of reps.
Push-Ups: When you are testing yourself, count the number you are able to do on your toes and then also on your knees.
Burpees: There are several burpee variations. If you have to do the modified version, write down what type you did and aim to increase your number OR be able to do a harder variation.
Spiderman Planks: If these are too difficult, time how long you can hold a basic plank
Sprints: Make sure you use the same distance for your sprints when you pre and post test yourself.